1. Field of the Invention
The device of this invention resides in the area of grafting devices to join two blood vessels together during surgery and more particularly relates to a device that fits within the blood vessels"" lumens and retains the blood vessels in position in contact with the graft device. During the healing process the blood vessels rejoin and the device dissolves and is absorbed into the body.
2. History of the Prior Art
It is well known that blood vessels can be joined together by stitching and by various grafting techniques.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved blood vessel grafting aid which device can join two blood vessels together during surgery. The device is both quick and easy to use and allows for blood flow while the grafting aid is absorbed into the body as the blood vessels heal together. In one embodiment the grafting aid can have a thin shaft formed of a first and second portion with a central position defined therebetween from which first and second portions protrude a plurality of prongs, which extend at an angle toward the central position of the device, on which a plate which can have adhesive thereon is supported by a plurality of support members. The first and second portions of the device disposed on either side of the plate are inserted, respectively, into the lumens of the two blood vessel ends to be joined which ends meet at the plate and are retained in position by the adhesive and by the outwardly extending prongs so that the blood vessel ends can heal and rejoin by the natural healing process. The use of the grafting aid of this invention avoids having to stitch the two blood vessels together which action can be tedious and time-consuming especially when joining many pairs of blood vessels during surgery. Using the grafting device of this invention one can quickly and securely join many pairs of blood vessels which ability is especially useful in treating various types of trauma to the body when fast treatment can be most helpful.